Burn like Water
by girlwiththeblackinkpen
Summary: Six teenagers, brought together by tyranny, hope, and lust for freedom. Avatar the Last Airbender AU.
1. drawing towards

**NOTE BEFORE READING: If you haven't seen Avatar the Last Airbender and are confused, please PM me and I'd be happy to help. Thank you for choosing my fic!**

**Enjoy.**

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"_**Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want."**_

_**~ Iroh; Avatar the Last Airbender**_

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Artemis was born into a family of Fire Nation royalty. Under the pale moonlight that sifted in through the holes in the sliding wood frame doors, Artemis entered the world squeamish, pinch-faced, and rebellious. She was a duchess of sorts, and a second grand-niece to the Fire Lord himself. At the tender age of three, her father had been most satisfied when it was discovered that Artemis was a fire bender.

Her father had made sure she got training. She had trained alongside Jade in the beginning, who, funnily enough, turned out to be an earth bender. Her father had been so excited at the prospect of a fire bender.

Because earth and rocks can smash and build. But fire can only burn and destroy.

Artemis's first actual _fire_ was when she was an eight. She had been so angry. So, so angry.

_"Artemis, focus!" her father shouted, slapping her hard across the face. He snarled at Jade, who had stopped her form-practicing behind them, to continue, and to mind her own business._

_ He rounded back on Artemis, "Focus your shot. Your flames need to be more fierce."_

_ Artemis took a deep breath, assuming her form. She spun on her heel, turning, and then she shot her hands forward, and then the flames spurted out, licking the air hungrily. A roaring, whooshing sound accompanied the orange flames, and her father growled again, "Concentrate."_

_ He slapped her again, harder this time, and Artemis burst._

_ She roared, a whooshing sound and then everything was white. There was a buzzing in her ears, and then her vision slowly slid back to focus. Jade was standing shock-still, her mouth open and her brow furrowed. Her father's arms were crossed, a satisfied expression on his face._

_ And everything around them was in flames._

It was then that her father decided she was ready for an actual bending master.

Her bending master had never seen such a fire-bender as her. She had the same spark that every fire-bender had, the rebellious, stubborn seed that had been planted when she had born. But her bending master had seen the seed crushed under the conditions she had to endure. A tight, iron-grip type father, and an absent mother who had been shipped back to the Earth kingdom when the Fire Nation soldiers had discovered her, most seeds would have choked and died by all the weeds. But in her case, her seed had sprouted, and made her stronger. He was sad to know that her father was already arranging her future, slowly sliding the pieces into place so that her path would lead to her becoming another mindless, soldier or guard in the Fire Lord's army, but he can't voice these concerns aloud.

The Fire Lord is always watching.

When Artemis was ten, she had stumbled across the royal archives, and found a water-bending scroll. Ornately decorated, and the paper was crinkled, and it was yellowed and Artemis treated it delicately and with immense, meticulous care.

She had slowly opened it, reveling and anticipating the contents. It was three pairs of hand-painted forms, with blue swirls coming out of the palms of their hands. She heard footsteps begin to shuffle past the archive doors, so she hastily stuffed the scroll into the folds of her robes, and she fled out of the room.

She had grown close with her bending master, an obscure man named Oliver who went by 'Green Arrow,' who had been brought in from an Earth-kingdom colony. She had been able to find out that his last trainee had been the son of a rogue fire-nation general. A Roy Harper, and that he had seemingly disappeared off the face of the planet. Artemis felt sorry for the weathered, tired-looking man, who had been black-mailed into training her, but they both had found they had a mutual hatred for the fire-nation ways, Artemis because they constricted her freedom and her father was attempting to mold her into his own killing machine, and Green Arrow because he was tired of having to constantly look over his shoulder. Artemis never found out what he had done to anger the Fire Lord that he had banished him to the colonies, but she decided during the first lesson that she would mind her own business.

She showed him the water-bending scrolls, entrusting that he wouldn't tell, and he didn't. They tried the fluid movements themselves, and found a different type of fire-bending that was amazingly free and relaxed that Artemis found herself rethinking her form to include the fluid arm and leg movements. Her father had been wrong. Fire is not meant to be contained, trained to sputter out in straight, symmetrical lines. Fire is meant to spread out, lick, roar, _burn._ Like water. But different.

When she was sixteen, she convinced Green Arrow to take her away from the Fire Nation. Far, far away. Her father had already begun arranging a marriage with an absolutely despicable son of some general in the army, and she was so tired of being stepped on, pushed aside. During one lesson, he discreetly shoved a ferry ticket into her hands, a ticket that would take her to some small, insignificant mining village.

As the ship slowly pulled out of the harbor, Artemis brought the cloak closer around her face. No one could recognize her as the jaded, protected daughter of the Fire Lord's close friend and cousin. And the cool wind and the salty sea air sank deep within her skin, and she breathed it in slowly.

Freedom was just around the corner.

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"_**Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring."**_

_**~ Iroh; Avatar the Last Airbender**_

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Lift. Drop. Lift. Drop. Lift. Drop.

It is a boring, dull cycle. Lift the boulder, drop it in the pit with the others. Move on to the next one. Lift the boulder, drop it in the pit with the others. Kaldur worriedly glances over at Megan and Connor, who are sweating and taking a break in the shade of the trees, their breathing rapid and Megan attempting to cool them down by bending water from the small stream nearby and letting it sprinkle slowly onto both her and Connor. Kaldur shoots her a warning look, because she really shouldn't be water-bending when somebody could be watching.

They had been offered a sum of thirty bronze coins for the job of just clearing the pathway of any boulders, and Kaldur had gladly accepted the job. Their employer, having assumed that Megan was an earth-bender as well, had offered an extra ten bronze coins if he could get his friend(s) to help him and get the job done faster. Connor had agreed reluctantly seeing as Megan was going along, but since Megan really couldn't do anything, seeing as she was a water-bender, and Connor just didn't want to, Kaldur was stuck doing the job alone, clearing about fifty boulders from the dirt-worn path.

He sighed.

Lift. Drop.

Lift. Drop.

He supposed that since he was the oldest, it was his responsible to bring in the money, and since he was only earth-bender who had actually trained under an earth-bending master, it made more sense that he take on the job. But the bending takes a lot out of him, and he decided that he deserves a break, and he slumps down next to Connor, and motions to Megan to throw some water at him.

Megan smiled, and bended some of the cool water above his head, and then released it with a loud _splash._

He reveled in the coolness running down his body, a welcome change because of the humidity of the Earth colonies and also the hot temperatures that always comes with being surrounded by fire-benders.

He heard marching nearby, and Kaldur shot a warning look at Megan. She instantly stops bending, and slides back down to squirm closer to Connor, who places a protective arm around her.

The fire-nation soldiers would persecute the Megan because she's a girl and a water-bender. But mostly because she's a water-bender. Kaldur gets why, they're looking for the Avatar. The Avatar, the only person who could 'master of all four elements' in his lifetime. The soldiers had supposedly already wiped out the last Avatar, and the element he originated in: Air. So now, they move on to the next one. Water. They've been moving quickly. They've already attacked the South Pole, where a small tribe of water-benders live. Megan had been shipped out of the South Pole as soon as news of the attack on the Southern Air Temple had reached their. She had been smuggled onto a ship going to Ba Sing Se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom. She had passed off as a regular person. No bending, no nothing, and then when the Fire Lord gained the trust of the Earth King and his special police force known as the Dai Li, she fled to this mining village where she met Kaldur and Connor.

The Fire Lord seems to have a grudge against the Avatar, because he seems so intent on removing his existence. But doesn't he realize that eventually he'll have to wipe out his own element as well if he wants to stop the existence of an Avatar?

"Kaldur…" Megan suddenly says, her voice shy, "I was wondering…" she momentarily glances at Connor, who nods at her encouragingly, "I was just wondering if we could maybe go to the festival tonight?"

Kaldur sighed. Megan would of course want to attend the Fire Days Festival. Three whole weeks of light music, festivities, and delicious food underneath the pale summer moon would of course peak the curiosity of the shielded Southern Water Tribe girl. She tucked a strand of red-brown hair behind her ear timidly, "We don't have to go if it's too dangerous though," she added as an afterthought.

Kaldur nodded, "But only for a little bit, alright?"

Megan clapped her hands, joyful, and Connor gave him a wry smile, "Thanks," Connor said, and then Connor placed his arm gently on Megan's shoulder. She leaned back, content.

And Kaldur turned back to the rocks.

Lift. Drop. Lift. Drop.

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"_**Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribes are capable of adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."**_

_**~ Iroh; Avatar the Last Airbender**_

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Wally drew his legs closer towards him, crouching closer to the barrels he was hiding behind. This action made a loud scratching noise, and Roy hit him, motioning for him to be quiet. Wally nodded, and stilled. Loud footsteps rang, echoing off the hollow wood of the ship. The ship creaked, and the man grunted.

Roy was a rebel fire bender, and had sought shelter with an old friend of his dad in the Northern Water Tribe. His dad's friend turned out to be a jovial, kind water-bender named Barry. Barry was Wally's uncle, and so the pair had been forcefully pushed together. Their friendship was pretty solid, and Wally trusted Roy enough to listen to his advice to be quiet. Roy and Wally weren't quite eighteen yet, so they didn't make the draft for men to fight against the Fire Lord, but that was why they were getting out of the North Pole.

They were tired, both of them. And so very, very bored of the shielded community that surrounded the Northern Water Tribe. They wanted adventure, and felt they could handle a greater responsibility than, "Make sure to feed the polar dogs and clean the buffalo yaks' pens!"

He absolutely _hated _this.

And, of course, there was the matter of the finding the Avatar and having to help him master the rest of the elements.

Dick suddenly popped up, grinning. He was two years younger than both Wally and Roy, making him fifteen. He had bright blue eyes and dark black hair and Wally and Roy had discovered him stealing dried ox goat from the store houses. He had been thin and wiry then, shivering in the cold wrapped haggardly in soaked furs. It was discovered he was an air bender. The last air bender, in fact. Dick had quickly managed to master water-bending, and the next element he would have to master is earth.

Dick suddenly popped up behind Wally and Roy, "Hi guys! What are you doing?"

Roy jumped, and smacked his head against a crate. He cursed, rounding about onto Dick, "Where were you? We were looking for you."

"I went exploring," Dick said, "Sorry guys, but you know, I've been on the run for so long that I kind of forgot what having friends felt like."

Wally waved his hand, silencing the both of them. The guard passed them, and all three breathed a sigh of relief.

"So… where are we going again?" Wally asked, settling back behind the crate.

"A mining village," Roy replied, rubbing his head while glaring at Dick, "near the Mo Ce Sea."

"But they'll be tons of fire benders at an Earth Kingdom mining village… Why didn't we go to Ba Sing Se?" Wally asked.

"The fire benders at Mo Ce Sea, can be bribed," Roy muttered darkly, "The Dai Li at Ba Sing Se can't."

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**NOTES:**

**All quotes are directly from the Avatar the Last Airbender website. It's a very good show, and I recommend it highly**

**The 'mining village' mention here is the same village where we first were introduced to Haru. I looked it up so I could be more specific, but it was literally under the name, "mining village." "Near the Mo Ce Sea Shoreline" was as specific as I could get…**

**None of the Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra characters will be mentioned, so that is why I refrained from making it a crossover fic**

**Anything I missed? Please PM or review! Thank you!**


	2. collision

**Please PM me if you are confused or if there are errors. **** Thank you!**

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"…**only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them."**

**~ Katara, Avatar the Last Airbender**

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Dick wanted to try everything. The mining town was small and tiny, with dusty, unpaved roads and tiny huts, but vendors lined some of the streets and Dick looked at them in wonder and fascination. He had rarely been allowed to leave the Air Temple, and even then, he had been kept under a watchful eye by Bruce, his air-bending mentor.

The sweet smell of poppy-seed cakes filled the air and he turned to Roy and Wally, his eyes wide and pleading. Wally groaned, "Look, just because you're the Avatar doesn't mean we're going to buy you whatever you want."

"But I've never had one before!" Dick grouched, slumping against the wall.

"How about I buy you a hat instead? We need to save our money for food," Roy said in a frustrated tone.

They walked over to a stall, handing over a piece of copper for a wide-brimmed straw hat. Dick smashed it onto his head gleefully, and ran into a bathroom to check himself out.

"He's like a five year old, on twice as much sugar as he _shouldn't _be," Roy said darkly.

Wally shrugged, "Well, you can't blame him. From what I could tell, he's never had a childhood."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but you can't help but worry a little that the balance of world rests on _his_ shoulders."

Wally sees a girl walking by near them and he whistles appreciatively. She has brown-red hair, and her slender body is wrapped in a long green casual work dress. Her hair is pulled back away from her face in a bun, and her youthful face betrays that she can't be older than seventeen.

"I call dibs!" Wally says, and Roy rolls his eyes and he follows Dick towards her.

Roy makes to go after him, "Wally! Don't draw attention to yourself!"

"Hi there," Wally says enthusiastically, "I'm Wally_. _And this is Roy."

Dick suddenly pops up, his hat covering his eyes, and he grins, "I'm Dick!"

Wally and Roy jump, but they grin nervously at the girl. Two boys come up from behind her, and they look concernedly at the girl and back at them.

"I'm Megan. This is Kaldur and Connor," she says, gesturing to each respectively.

"Are these guys bothering you?" Connor asks gruffly.

"No!" Wally says, nervous at the sight of Connor's bulging muscles, "Psh, we were just saying hello…. So, um… hello?"

Roy seems to have spotted something, and he nudges Wally. Wally turns to Roy, and Roy makes the slightest nod toward Megan's wrist. Wally looks at it, and peeking out of her sleeve is a small, light blue disk on a thick black cord. Wally grabs her wrist, looking at it. He recognizes the swirls and patterns. It's the typical engagement bracelet from one of the water tribes. And the ring of white encircling the outside is the mark of the Southern Water Tribe.

"You're from the Southern…" Wally begins, but Connor promptly clamps his thick hand over Wally's mouth. Roy and Dick begin to yell, but Kaldur seems to have placated them by saying something Wally was unable to hear.

Connor drags Wally behind him, and Wally struggles accordingly. They drag him to a secluded area surrounded by trees and large boulders. A clear brook trickled near by, and Connor throws him down unceremoniously.

"How did you know?" Connor says, pushing him against the wall.

"Engagement… necklace… on her wrist," Wally manages to choke out.

"Are you going to turn us in?" Kaldur asks in a stressed tone.

"We are from the Northern Water Tribe," Roy says.

"Well, Wally is," Dick says, "Roy's a fire bender on the run and I'm the Avatar."

"The… Avatar?" Megan says, confused, "I thought he disappeared."

"Well here I am," Dick says, throwing his arms out, "Master of all four elements, yadah yadah yadah."

"Prove it. All three of you," Connor said, letting Wally go.

Wally bended water from the stream, forming a ball of water. It swirled around and Wally promptly bended it on top of Connor's head. Connor growled fiercely, and he bended a large rock up in the air, displaying his earth-bending abilities while simultaneously aiming the boulder towards Wally's face.

Dick reacted accordingly, shooting the boulder harmlessly away with a strong gust of wind. Connor froze, stunned. He hadn't actually believed the fifteen-year-old's claim to being the Avatar, but the air bending was proof enough. It probably didn't help that Dick looked two years younger than he actually was, making him look thirteen when in actuality he was fifteen.

Kaldur turned, having surmised as much, "What about you?"

Roy looked disgruntled and slightly offended by Kaldur's doubting tone, but he punched the air, and fire spurted out of his fist.

Dick grinned, "Good. So we're all who we said we are. Now, are _you_ going to turn _us _in?"

Connor looked at Kaldur, and Kaldur shook his head, "We have no relationships with the Fire Nation, nor do we wish to see the Avatar harnessed for the Fire Lord's gain."

"We're trying to find an earth bending teacher for me to train under," Dick said.

"Easy, we can have Kaldur teach you," Megan said, "He's trained under the Ba Sing Se Master."

Dick grinned, and Kaldur eyed him, nodding his consent, "I would be honored to take on the Avatar as a student."

"Do you have teaching experience?" Roy asked skeptically, crossing his arms.

"Yeah," Connor said, "He taught me."

They hear the marching of feet, and they all freeze, frightened they may have been found out. A pair of soldiers pass by, talking and strutting about loudly, Kaldur sighed in relief.

"Perhaps we should go back to the village and rest before we begin," Kaldur said, "We can begin training tomorrow."

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"**When she awoke, the world was on fire."**

**~ the Uglies, Scott Westerfield**

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Artemis was shaken gruffly awake by one of the ship's crew, and she nearly chucks a fire ball at him before she freezes, remembering where she is.

"We're here, pet," he said, "Now get off."

Artemis tucked her long blonde hair, a distinguishing feature, into her hood, and then carefully sliding her sleeve down to hide her brand. Only members of the royal family had it, the black fire insignia of the Fire Nation burned into her fore arm. She had initially refused to receive it, but her father had tied her down to the chair and had servants hold down her feet while she was given the tattoo. The story of the mark was legendary.

The first Fire Nation king had received the mark when the dragons of the North and South had crowned him King. The Northern dragon, angry that the Southern Dragon had been able to make the golden crown that the Fire Lord then and today, had gifted the first Fire Lord with the gift of blue fire. The blue fire was powerful, ten times hotter than the regular orange-red flames. The blue fire was to only manifest itself within true rulers worthy of the throne. The blue flame owners were marked with a round brand with the fire nation symbol. And it became tradition for each member of the fire nation royalty, the descendants of the original fire lord to be marked with the brand.

_Notice that none of the past three fire lords have had blue fire bending… _Artemis thought to herself angrily. She yanked her sleeve down one last time, nodding when only the tip of one of the black flames and the top curve of the circle around the flames peeked out of her sleeve.

She stepped out of her bunk in the ship and walked above deck. The Earth Kingdom was humid, not at all like the dry air of the Fire Nation. She stepped gracefully down the ship's steps, and she examined her surroundings.

She walked over to where the street vendors were, and she frowned as her stomach grumbled. She reached into her satchel, retrieving the large sack of gold she had stolen from the treasury.

"How much for an apple, ma'am?" Artemis asks, fiddling with a piece of gold.

The woman looks shocked at the prospect of business, and she straightens up, "A piece of copper is good."

Artemis hands her a piece of gold, "You can keep the change."

The woman looks gratefully at her nodding and handing over two apples in Artemis's waiting hand. Artemis nods appreciatively, "Thank you. Erm, do you know any inn's I could stay at?"

"Well, there are none in the area, but if you follow the path, it's about a two-day walk to-"

"How much money do you have in that sack of yours?" a voice suddenly said.

Artemis and the vendor both jumped. The owner of the voice was a boy around thirteen or fourteen with jet-black hair. His eyes were covered by a large, straw hat and he grinned at Artemis and the vendor cheekily.

"Who are you?" Artemis asked, backing up slightly.

"Well, that depends on how much money you've got in that sack of yours," the boy said.

"Have you got a place for me to stay?" Artemis shot back, putting the sack of money back in her bag.

The boy nodded, and beckoned her to follow him. She waved to the vendor and followed cautiously.

What if it was a trap? What if her father had found out and had paid the boy to-

"Who's this?" a gruff voice said. Artemis looked up, startled, when she realized they must have arrived at the destination. Another older, black-haired boy was seemingly squinting at her by a door to a small barn, his arms crossed over his wide chest. A red-brown haired girl was standing next to him, clutching his arm.

"This is our source of money," the boy said, "But first, we'll make sure we can trust her."

A blond-haired boy with dark skin stepped forward, looking Artemis up and down, "Where did you find this, 'source of money'?"

"By the street vendor!" the boy said enthusiastically, "Call it 'Avatar's intuition' but I know we can trust her. I talked to Jason Todd, one of the Avatars before me, and he said she's safe!"

_Wait a second… Jason Todd? Oddly familiar name… Avatar?... _Artemis managed to piece it together in a split-second, and she frowned at the boy, "You're the Avatar?"

"Yup, Dick Grayson, resident air-bending origin Avatar," he said, sticking his hand out.

"Great, Dick," the other black-haired boy said, "How do you know she's not going to turn us in?"

"I'm on the run too," Artemis said quietly.

"Prove it," the blond-haired boy said.

"I can't. I'm from the Fire Nation. I wanted nothing to do with the war so I left," Artemis said.

Artemis heard a hissing noise from behind her and she whipped around, just in time to dodge an incoming ball of fire. She ducked a sharp stream of water, and she bended fire towards the general direction of the incoming fire and water.

She growled, unhappy with being caught by surprise. She should've known this was a trap.

Two boys stepped forward, and they could've only been two or three years older than her. Both were red heads, and one was bending water while the other was bending fire. Great.

She whipped around, managing to create a large streak of bright red fire with her feet and then shooting it towards the one bending water. The boy miscalculated her attack and had thrown a ball of water towards her, only for the water to evaporate by the sheer force of the fire. He panicked, raising a wall of ice around him, but he was too late and was thrown aside.

The other boy, frowned, but starting slowly approaching her, throwing blast after blast of fire.

Artemis vaguely wondered how her father had gotten a water bender, but she ignored it, focusing on the task at hand.

She decided to try lightning. Desperate times call for desperate measures. She'd rather die than go back to the palace, and so, she froze, raising a large circle of fire around her to prevent interruption and stood still, concentrating on gathering the energy. She took a deep breath, and got into position. She slowly breathed out, using the footwork that Green Arrow had taught her.

The remaining red-head had froze, seemingly transfixed.

She pointed two fingers from the sky, and she felt the crackling electricity from the heavens enter her blood stream. She drew her other hand slowly down her arm, down into her stomach, and quickly aimed it before she lost the lightning. She misfired, missing the red-head and instead hitting a boulder. The last thing she saw before everything went dark was blue, everywhere.

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"…**And so, it begins."**

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Roy would recognize that footwork anywhere. It was Oliver's technique for bending lightning. He missed his old fire-bending master. But Roy's father had been pushing him to get engaged and he'd had enough with watching innocent people die. So he left.

The girl was lying in bed, being mothered and clucked over by Megan.

"Oh, I do hope she's alright! I mean, she was so nice!" Megan said worriedly, hovering over the unconscious girl and glaring at Roy and Wally in turn for knocking her out.

The six of them had been sleeping under the same roof for… three days? … and Megan already treated them like family. She mothered over everybody, and while it was an admirable quality, it sometimes made Roy want to punch himself in the face.

They hadn't meant to make her pass out. They had only heard 'Fire Nation' when they got back from the market with food and they had panicked. Megan had pulled down her hood, revealing her long, thick blond hair. Fire Nation? People in the Fire Nation rarely had blonde hair. Only some of the royal family and maybe one in a million of the citizens in the Fire Nation had blonde hair. But the girl was obviously Fire Nation. Unless there was a 'second Avatar.' The very notion made Roy snort in disbelief.

"….nnngg…"

Roy and Megan shot up, rushing to the girl.

"…What… happened…?" the girl said weakly.

"You passed out after bending some lightning towards Roy here," Megan said gently.

The girl turned to Roy, and her eyes narrowed slightly, and she sat up, Megan tried to push her back but the girl waved her off, "Why did you attack me? Did my father pay you?"

"Your father…?" Roy asked, skeptical, "Look, I just heard, 'Fire Nation' and panicked, okay?"

The girl looked at him disbelievingly, "_You're_ obviously Fire Nation. Unless, of course, you're the Avatar, and that black-haired brat was lying to me."

Roy didn't deign that a response, shaking it off and addressing the issue that was really bothering him, "Oliver Queen. How do you know him?"

"….Who?" the girl asked.

"That footwork. That's Oliver's style," Roy said, getting frustrated, "How do you know him?"

"My fire-bending master taught to me," the girl said, "Green Arrow. I think his first name's Oliver but I don't know for sure. He never told me his real name. Wait. Are you… Roy? His old student?"

"He's alive?" Roy said. Relief and happiness flooded through him. Oliver had been like a father to him, and he had hoped in all his days away from the Fire Nation that he was still alive.

"Well, I guess any friend of Green Arrow is a friend of mine," the girl said slowly, but she crossed her arms, glaring at him, "I'd like an apology."

"Sorry," Roy said dismissively, "Now tell me how Oliver is."

"Soooo sincere," the girl said sarcastically, "Well, first things first, I'm Artemis. Oliver is fine. I had to leave him back at the Fire Nation."

Megan than shooed him out of the room, saying that Artemis needed her rest and whatnot.

He couldn't believe that after all those years, Oliver was alive.

**NOTES:**

**Kaldur is a water bender just because I could make him a water bender. Hahahaha. Suck it.**

**There was no such distinguishing factors mention in the TV show, but it seemed like the design for the Southern Water Tribe would be different from the Northern Water Tribe so I added this detail in.**

**This self-fabricated 'royalty brand' was never mentioned in the Avatar universe, but I have added for this story's sake.**

**The only person known to have blue fire was Azula, but in this story, seeing as Azula doesn't exist in this world, I decided that the true ruler of the Fire Nation should gifted with blue fire.**

**Dick is fifteen, looks thirteen. Please take note of this.**

**For all intents and purposes, Jason Todd will have been the Avatar before Dick. Even though Jason Todd is the second Robin, he has come before Dick in this universe as the Avatar.**

**Bending lightning is a true fire-bending ability, as shown in the show demonstrated by Zuko, Azula, and Iroh. It seemed right to give Artemis this ability seeing as it seems common within Fire Nation royalty, and was demonstrated within fire benders with no former training as well, in Legend of Korra in the factory work scene by Mako.**

**If you hadn't realized it yet, there is always only ONE Avatar. Once the reigning one dies, the person within the 'next element' (the order is water-earth-fire-air) that is born at the exact moment that the previous Avatar dies becomes the Avatar. The Avatar has the ability to bend all four elements, and also can flit in and out of the 'spirit world' which if needed I will go deeper into later.**

**Thanks for all the positive feedback!**


	3. burning sensation

**NOTE: Um, please ignore the first note in the previous chapter. I meant earthbender but I put water bender…. Sorry for the typo**

**Also, someone pointed out to me that it is **_**redirect **_** lightning, not bend lightning…. Sorry about that too… :/**

**Thanks for all of the positive feedback and reviews!**

**Anything I missed or doesn't make sense, please leave me a message. Thanks!**

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I don't think that this place is safe anymore," Artemis said suddenly, slowly slurping her seaweed noodle soup. She makes a face, her taste buds used to the hot and sharp tastes of the Fire Nation, but she chokes it down, and pressing on with her claim, "There are Fire Nation crawling everywhere."

"Well where would you recommend?" Wally asked angrily. Artemis supposed he might still be mad at her for knocking him out earlier, but in all fairness, he knocked her out first.

Artemis shrugged, "Serpant's Pass, the Si Wong Desert, I don't know."

"I agree with Artemis. This village is no longer safe," Kaldur said quietly, "Perhaps we should move to another place more secluded from the Fire Nation."

"Like we should listen to anything the Fire Nation girl says," Wally muttered darkly. Roy kicked him, and Wally rolled his eyes, "You're not Fire Nation anymore. You're Northern Water Tribe."

"Aren't you hot in that long sleeved dress?" Connor suddenly asked, glaring suspiciously at Artemis, who was dressed in a long sleeved green dress borrowed from Megan, despite the hot weather outside.

"No," Artemis said tersely, lying through her teeth. Connor glared suspiciously at her, but turned back to his dinner, swirling the meager helping of seaweed soup with his spoon.

"Why is she here anyways? We don't need money. We have money," Wally said angrily, stabbing his soup with his spoon, "I mean, that's all she's here for. So that we can have her money."

Artemis glared at him across the table, and she flicked a small ball of fire towards him, and it singed the tips of his hair off. Wally slammed the table, and he bended his bowl of soup at her, drenching her with hot soup.

Everybody froze, staring at the dripping wet blonde. She blinked back at Wally, her grey eyes boring into Wally's own green ones.

"Megan… would you mind…?" Artemis began, her voice tight and constrained.

Megan bended the soup off her clothes, her face worried and with a large frown on her face. Artemis nodded her thanks and she got up, "Well, since I'm not wanted here, I'll be going then. It's only a two day walk to the nearest inn, correct?"

She didn't wait for anyone to answer, and went to the room that she and Megan shared and began to gather her stuff in her arms before walking out the door, slamming it closed behind her. She should've known that no good ever came from a water bender. Especially a no good conceited Northern Water Tribe bender. The other fire-bender had almost come around. He had even showed her a better way to harness and redirect the lightning to prevent her from passing out the next time she used it.

Connor had been a little surly, but Megan had assured her that that was his nature. She didn't understand why Wally was so difficult. He had started it. She glared at the brand on her arm. It seemed more and more like a bad luck charm every day.

**][][][][][][**

"We should follow her," Megan said, her voice concerned and tight, "She might get attacked or hurt out there."

Wally rolled his eyes, "Come on, Megalicious. She'll be fine out there."

Megan glared at him, and he conceded, "Fine. We'll go. But after breakfast, please?"

"No," Kaldur said firmly, "We must leave now to catch up with Artemis. She is needed if we want to help Dick with the rest of the elements."

"Roy can do that!" Wally said.

"I'm not coming with you," Roy replied, his voice hesitant.

"What?" Wally asked, outraged, "Why not?"

"…I-I need to go back to the Fire Nation. To find Oliver," Roy said.

Wally fell silent, knowing how much the man had meant to Roy and nodded, "Fine. But as soon as you find him, you're coming back. Got it?"

Roy nodded, "I'll leave when you leave."

"If Roy is leaving, then who's going to teach me fire-bending?" Dick asked, seemingly popping out of nowhere.

The four of them jumped, startled.

"Artemis will, obviously," Connor drawled from the corner.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Dick said gleefully, "Adventure is out there!"

They all packed the essentials, Megan's bracelet, Dick's hat, Wally's flask of water, and they headed out immediately. Roy waved a jovial farewell to them, "I'll be back!"

**][][][][][][**

Connor and Kaldur lead the way, following the path to the next Earth Kingdom village, a two day walk from the mining village they currently occupied. They couldn't see any sign that Artemis was near, nor that she had been walking along this pass.

"What if she's not here this way," Wally whined.

"Then we keep looking," Connor snarled back, sick of Wally's whininess.

They heard a commotion in the trees, and they turned, seeing bursts of flames and thuds coming from the surrounding forests.

The group looked at each other for a moment before going over to investigate. A hooded figure Wally recognized as Artemis was holding her ground against two people, a man and a woman, atop snarling, giant reptilian-like animals. Artemis dodged the whipping tongue of one of the animals, the woman controlling it laughing wickedly. Artemis threw a ball of fire at the overgrown lizard, and jumped up in the air, throwing burst after burst after burst of fire at them.

Wally felt guilt settle in the pit of his stomach. He recognized those men. Bounty hunters. It was his fault that she was fighting three of them. It was his fault she was in this mess.

"No one challenges us, you little rat," one of roared, a large, burly man with blond hair and an ugly scowl on his face. Well, never mind. Wally got it now. His voice had a thick accent, and the other woman looked to be his twin or sister. He bended the rock around him towards her, and Artemis ducked and let forth another wave of fire.

The woman sent a group of large rocks flying at her, and Artemis leaned back to dodge them. When she did, however, her hood fell back, and her long blond hair tumbled out of the hood, revealing her features to the man and woman. The man and the woman froze.

"Oh…" the man said, grinning, "This is interesting. And we here thought y'all was just going to be another pretty thing to add to our collection, but you'll bring us a nice bit of cash, isn't that right, sis'? "

"Check her arm, Tommy," the woman squealed, flipping her white-blond hair out of her face, "We'll have to make sure."

Artemis reacted too late, and Wally watched in horror as the Earth enveloped her, restraining her with grips of rock. She tried spurting fire out of hands but nothing came. The man, Tommy, lifted Artemis's sleeve, revealing a black brand on her forearm. It looked just like another tattoo, a black circle surrounding the Fire Nation insignia. It looked oddly familiar to Wally, but his thoughts were interrupted by the woman's cackle. Artemis began struggling furiously, her hair whipping about and flames sputtering out of her palms helplessly.

"And know what, darling? The notice didn't specify dead or alive… so… We just gonna go with what we please!" the man said gleefully.

Wally was frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, a large breeze caught the couple, shooting them back about six feet. Dick released another wave of air, and then another.

"The brat, _and _the Avatar?" the man said gleefully, "This day just keeps getting better and better!"

Kaldur bended the Earth around Artemis, releasing her, and Artemis stood up, gratefully rubbing her wrists and hugging Kaldur. Kaldur said something to her, and Artemis nodded, seemingly saying thank you. Wally felt something tug the edge of his stomach, but he ignored it, turning to the problem at hand.

The pair were strong, both Earth benders, and the pair of lizards would have to dealt with as well. Wally drew a stream of water from his flask, using it like a whip to wound the reptiles. He then froze the water, aiming it like a dagger towards the second one. Artemis angrily sent a burst of flame towards the lizard, while Connor bended large boulders towards the lizards. They dodged all three attacks easily, flitting about quickly despite their bulky bodies.

"Artemis! You need to redirect lightning! I think it's the only way," Kaldur shouted as he bended another boulder towards the man. The man was less fortunate, and was plowed down by the boulder immediately.

Artemis nodded nervously, and raised a large ring of fire around her again. She breathed in again, and got into position. She slowly lowered the flames, ignoring the hissing and the yells happening around her. She raised her hand into the hair, felt the electricity burning through her core and slowly drew her hand along her arm, down to her stomach, and up again. She launched the lightning, aiming for the unblocked lizard. She met her mark, and it hit the lizard with a crackle and a snap. The lizard fell over, charred black.

The other lizard, startled by this move, scurried away, his master, the woman in tow. The group cheered, satisfied with their victory.

Wally stuck out his hand to Artemis, "…I'm sorry. For everything. Truce?"

"Truce," Artemis reaffirmed, shaking his hand firmly. She swayed slightly, lifting a hand to her head. Kaldur placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, and she shook it off.

"Thanks, you guys," Artemis said stiffly, still a bit unstable.

"Why did those guys attack you?" Megan asked, a little jittery from being unable to partake in the battle due to not having a source of water nor a flask, like Wally.

Artemis tensed, "They were in my way, so I asked them to move."

"What's that mark on your arm?" Wally blurted out, unable to contain himself.

Kaldur looked curiously at Artemis, "What mark?"

Artemis sighed, "I guess the secrets out," she said as she shoved her sleeve up her arm, revealing the black brand.

Dick whistled appreciatively, then bowed, "It's my honor, your majesty, " he said, bowing low to the ground with his forehead nearly touching the ground and his arm stuck out wide in a sweeping gesture.

"Knock it off," Artemis snapped testily, "I'm extended family."

"You're part of the royal family, aren't you?" Wally said, piecing it together in his mind, "I knew that brand looked familiar!"

Artemis slumped against a tree, "Yeah… my great-uncle is the Fire Lord."

"Woah," Dick said, sitting down next to Artemis, "tough break."

"Yeah…" Wally said softly. He still felt guilty for being so mean to her. Wally isn't a mean person by nature, but the Fire Nation had taken everything away from him. His mother, his father, his uncle, and now, his best friend.

"Let us begin to head back," Kaldur said quietly, "It will begin to get dark soon."

Artemis looked up, startled, "You guys are okay that I'm related to the Fire Lord."

Connor shrugged noncommittally, "You can't choose your family."

**][][][][][**

When they got back, everything was on fire. Megan choked down a sob as she watched the hut she had spent nearly two years in burn down to the ground. Thick columns of smoke rose into the air, and the screams and shouts of the people rose in the air. Due to the absence of water benders, all the citizens of the mining town could do was wait out the fire, and hope it doesn't spread to the forest.

"It is no longer safe here," Kaldur muttered, "I should have seen this coming, what with the frequent arrival of more and more Fire Nation soldiers."

Connor shook his head, "It's not your fault. I'll bet the Fire Lord ordered this. The mines haven't been giving coal for nearly a year. Why keep financing soldiers to guard an empty pit? It's _his _fault."

"Well, it's my job to stop him," Dick said, his voice, for once, quiet and solemn.

Megan placed a hand on his shoulder, "No. It's _our _job."

**NOTES:**

**I decided to leave out the quotes at the line breaks because I couldn't think of ones that were relevant to the chapters.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors. I've tried getting a beta but I'm still relatively new to fanfiction and I'm just a freshmen in high school. It's hard to remember every single grammar rule to date when it's just me and my six-year old computer.**

**Updates will start to get a little spotty due to my school's orientation and other events. I'm trying to start it before school starts, but be forewarned because if I'm not able to then the story will start to be updated once every MONTH.**

**I added a cameo by a pair of villains. Kudos to the people who recognize them… **

**I assumed Dick would know the mark of Fire Nation royalty, if there was such a mark, seeing as he is the Avatar.**

**Shorter chapter this time, and I apologize for any disappointments… :/**

**People have asked me about the pairings. And... I like Spitfire. So... hang in there. Think of it like that meme... SOON...**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. gather 'round the campfire

**NOTE: Kitte-Wolf & LordoftheBooks – I apologize for my complete lack of knowledge that comes to lightning bending/redirecting… :/ I suck. ;)**

**This one is a lot shorter and I apologize for the wait. I've been really busy with vacation and stuff. I promise I won't post the next chapter until it's at least 3000 words.**

**][][][][][][**

"I believe this will be a good enough spot to camp for the night," Kaldur said, looking over the clearing. Tall pines surround the area, and a clear stream bubbles nearby.

Megan nods, setting down her pack of her own things that she had been able to salvage from the fire. Megan and Wally had been able to bend water onto the houses before all of their things went up in flames, but the house's structure had been significantly effected and all six of them agreed that it was unsafe to stay there. Clothes, a couple thin, worn books, and some images of her and her family. Of Connor's belongings, Connor decided only to bring along two changes of clothes and a small portrait of a man looked eerily like an older version of Connor. Wally and Roy were able to salvage most of their clothes, while Kaldur's things had been relatively untouched. Artemis's stuff, having been removed from the house prior to the start of fire, was completely unharmed.

"Connor, if you would assist me in building a shelter," Kaldur said, and Connor nodded, complying. They built a large, rock dome, and made a large hole in the ceiling like a chimney. It was roomy, and Artemis looked on with wonder as Connor and Kaldur manipulated the earth deftly and with grace.

When it was completed, the teens each took a corner of the dome. It was getting dark, so Dick gathered bundles of dry sticks and made a make-shift fire pit. Megan had bought some eggs and vegetables to eat for dinner, and Connor formed a pan from a black stone and looked at Artemis expectantly, waiting for her to bend a fire to cook over.

Artemis complied, but the flames that came out of the palms of her hand were a queer, purple-red color, instead of her usual orange flames.

"…What the…?" Artemis said, and she looked at her palms, as if that would explain why the color of her fire had suddenly changed.

The rest of her group looked shocked as well, unnerved by the sudden color change of Artemis's flames.

Artemis tried to shake it off, writing it off as an illness, "I think I'm getting sick or something…"

Dick looked skeptical, but the others accepted the answer.

Megan attempted to place the pot on the fire but jumped back, the flames too hot to cook over, or even be in the general vicinity of.

"I think we'll have to wait about thirty minutes before I can start cooking," Megan said, squinting at the merrily flickering flames.

Wally groaned, "…But I'm soo hungry!"

Artemis rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you can wait a bit more. Stop whining, you sound like a dying cat."

"Yes, well, at least it's not _my _fault that we can't cook for another hour," Wally retorted.

Artemis glared at him, "You're such a baby."

"Well you're ugly as a troll and dumb as one too," Wally said.

"Well," Artemis said, smiling sarcastically and adopting a mocking tone, "Don't you just grow on people like cancer."

Wally's brow furrowed, "Well, aren't you just a little bi-"

"Enough," Kaldur said, "This is not the time for fighting. We have lost much, but we must regroup and come together as a group. We are all here for different reasons. But we all have one common thing in mind. We all wish to defeat the Fire Lord."

"Fine," Artemis spat, turning away from Wally, "I won't talk to him."

"Good," Wally said back.

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Stop it or I'll bend both of you into the ground," Connor said angrily, glaring at both of them.

"I think the fire's ready," Megan chimed, and she beckoned Artemis over to help her with the food. Artemis and Megan grill thick strips of bear duck in the pan, the delicious smell of grilling meat wafting through the dome. Once it's ready, the teens gather round the fire and dig in, the dome silent save for the sound of smacking lips and the thuds of fingers against hastily-bended bowls made of rock.

Dick finishes his meal relatively quickly, and he grins at the group expectantly, "So… anyone know any camp fire stories?"

Megan claps her hands eagerly, setting her plate aside, "I can tell you how I met Kaldur and Connor!"

"It was a really hot, summer day," Megan began, losing herself in the memory, "and I was trying to find some water and food. I ended up stealing from one of the vendors because I was so hungry. I swiped one of the apples from the stall by the bakery, when the lady caught me! She started yelling and screaming when Connor came up to me out of nowhere and demanded to know where I'd been. He whispered to me to play along, and he paid the lady and then shooed me towards the hut. I told Kaldur and Connor about how I had escaped from the Southern Water Tribe, and, well, it's all down hill from there."

Connor seemed to smile wryly at the memory, grinning.

Dick clapped, and rounded on the rest of group, "Any other stories?"

"I've got one," Artemis said, her voice punctuated by the crack of the fire. Wally scoffed, but didn't remark due to Connor's piercing glare, "It's an old Fire Nation legend."

Dick nodded eagerly, settling into his seat.

Artemis cleared her throat and began, "Long, long ago, the Fire Lord had two sons. His youngest son was a prodigy, and was gifted with the esteemed blue flame fire that marked the true rulers of the Fire Nation. The eldest son was smart and a bender as well, but did not possess the blue fire. So, since the tradition decreed that the blue fire marked the true heirs to the throne, the throne was given to the younger son. The older son, overcome with jealousy, plotted to get rid of the younger son and take the throne for himself. The older son, still having some dominance over his younger brother, sent him out on a suicide mission to capture the city of Ba Sing Se for the Fire Nation. And the younger brother was never seen again. Fire Nation legend states that the true descendent of the younger brother and the true heir to throne will possess the blue flame," Artemis concluded. She glanced up, sighing softly to herself, "There are rumors that the younger son fell in love with a girl in the Earth Kingdom, and that's why nobody's seen the blue flames yet, because the children of the younger son have all been non-benders or Earth-benders."

Wally rolled his eyes, "Like there's such thing as a _blue-flame _fire bender. That fire would have to be like a million degrees!"

Artemis glared at him, "It's just a legend, bozo."

A loud snore interrupted their spat, and Artemis and Wally froze, turning to the source of the noise. Dick had fallen asleep, leaning over the large rock he had chose to perch on.

Megan cooed, "Look at him! He's so _cute!"_

Wally raised an eyebrow, sensing that Megan's tone alluded that she believed that Dick was younger than he really was. It was one of Dick's insecurities, as the Avatar had once confessed to him. Many people mistook him for younger than he was, and believed that he couldn't handle the responsibilities that came with being an Avatar, "How old do you think he is?"

Megan, seemingly startled by Wally's random question, shrugged, "Thirteen… twelve?"

Wally shook his head, "He's fifteen. He'll turn sixteen this year."

"Oh," Megan said softly, "He's just so _small."_

"How old are you?" Wally asked. He was just curious now, wanting to know if she was younger or older or the same age.

"I'm seventeen," Megan said automatically, she then addressed the whole group, minus the snoring Dick, "What about you guys?"

"Eighteen," Connor said, shrugging casually.

"I turned nineteen last fall," Kaldur replied.

Wally frowned, "I'm seventeen too. What about you, Miss Fire Nation?"

Artemis glared at him, "I'm sixteen, Water Boy."

Wally shook a finger at her, in a reprimanding tone, "You should respect your elders, Arty."

"By one year!" Artemis screeched.

"Perhaps we should turn in," Kaldur said, intercepting the pair's argument before it could escalate, "We have been through a lot today, and I recommend it best to turn in."

"I'm with Kaldur," Megan said quietly, fear suddenly leaking into her eyes, "We need to wake up early tomorrow morning and make a plan."

The group separated, each taking a corner of the dome. Connor gently picked Dick up, moving him against the wall on the left. The group laid out on salvaged sheets, the cool summer night making it a perfect cozy temperature in the dome. Wally tossed and turned, however, a wary sense of foreboding seeping into his pores.

**NOTES:  
**

**So... Kaldur is the oldest at nineteen, Connor is eighteen, Megan is seventeen, Wally is seventeen, and Artemis is sixteen. And of course Dick is the youngest at fifteen. Should be fun!**

**Artemis's story is also purely fan-made by me and not mentioned in the Avatar universe.**

**I promise I'll get lightning-bending/lightning redirecting right eventually... :/**

**I assume that you can build a dome out of earth, I mean, Toph was shown often sleeping in her own self-made shelter made out of rock, so I assume that our Team can sleep in a slightly bigger version. It's convenient, having two earth-benders... :)**

**...Um... I can't think of anything else... PM me if I missed anything.**

**Oh, yeah. I have a beta now. Her name's Jgirl53. And she's awesome. A big shout out to her.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	5. interlude

Megan woke to the sound of chattering birds, and thick sunlight streaming in through the hole at the top of the dome. She tip toed around her friends, taking great care not to awaken any of them. She had to make sure to keep her secret. She exited through the small hole in the dome, and slowly walked toward the stream near by. She stared at her reflection. A small, unremarkable nose, full, pouty lips. She would pretty if it weren't for the birthmark. A large white mark disfiguring her face from right underneath her left eye to the bottom of her chin. It looked like somebody had splashed acid onto her face. She uncorked the bottle of water from the Spirit Oasis. In truth, she hadn't run away for fear of the Fire Nation. She had run away because in the eyes of the Southern Water Tribe, she was a fugitive.

She had broken into the revered and sacred Spirit Oasis Temple, in the Southern Water Tribe. The Northern Water Tribe had gifted the Southern Water Tribe with a large ceremonial basin of water from the actual Spirit Oasis as a sign of the strong bond between the two tribes and Megan had stolen a small flask of water, and fled in the dead of the night. She had been using it to try and remove her face from the disfigurement, but the effect of the water only lasted until she went to sleep. She bended the water onto her face, and the water glowed blue from the water-bending energy. When it seemed like it was finished, she bended it back into the jade flask. She sighed, relieved, and retreated back into the dome. She laid back in the bed, twisting the sheet around her and pretended to be asleep.

Artemis woke up with a noisy yawn, and Megan watched through squinted eyes as Artemis poked around in her bag. Artemis looked around, and thinking that everybody was asleep, took out a small scroll. Megan couldn't see what it was, but Artemis seemed to just be admiring it and then she stowed it away in her bag. Megan rolled over, and stretched, deciding to drop the ruse.

"Morning, Artemis," Megan said brightly.

Artemis seemed to squint at her for a moment before nodding, "Good morning."

"Do you want to help me with breakfast?" Megan asked shyly, eager for some girl bonding time.

Artemis nodded, sitting up. They went to other, emptier half of the dome, gathering cooking ingredients and the stone pot Connor had bended together last night.

"I'm thinking seaweed rabbit fish soup," Megan mused, bending water from the stream into the pot. Artemis nodded, and tied her hair back into a pony tail.

Once the aromatic smell of the soup wafted through the dome, the boys woke up, padding over and looking at the bowls and the pot of simmering broth eagerly.

"What do you think our next move should be?" Artemis asked suddenly, spooning her soup over the chunky bits of clumsily-made rice. Artemis liked having plans, or at least knowing what was going to happen next.

Kaldur shrugged, "We can stay here, or move to another place. I think the best choice would be a plan that would have us remain safe. Risking our lives to go sight-seeing is not worth it, seeing as we do have the Avatar in our midst."

"I vote we stay here," Connor said, "We have water, food, and shelter. What more do we need?"

Artemis growled, "You guys have lived in this mining town for so long you don't know what's going on out there. Innocent people are dying. The Earth Kingdom is in shambles, the Air Nomads have been completely obliterated, and the Water Tribes are hanging on the ledge," she turned to Dick, "You're the Avatar. It's your responsibility to help people when they need it. The people of need you, and they won't be helped if you stay here, in the middle of nowhere, just because you're afraid of what's out there!"

Artemis was breathing hard from her rant, her chest rising and falling as she glared at this sorry coward in which the fate of the world relied.

"Look, _princess," _Wally said suddenly, "It's not just about safety. Dick's not ready to handle the baddies yet. He's barely had a month training as a water bender, and now he has to unlock the rest of the elements. He needs to train, and according to him the 'Spiritual Rules' of being the Avatar dictate he has to do it in a specific order. He knows air, could pass for water, and now he needs to learn earth and fire bending."

Artemis glared at Wally, scowling at the nickname, but she falls silent.

"…I agree with Artemis on moving though," Megan spoke softly, "The Fire Nation burned down the village, who's to say they won't search the forest and find us?"

"What about we go to Ba Sing Se? That would be a perfect place to earth bend, and we could train on the way as well," Kaldur supplied.

Artemis shook her head, "Dai Li are corrupt and they'll turn in any benders they can sniff out. And the Fire Lord's got the Earth King wrapped around his finger. Ba Sing Se's crawling with Fire Nation and other nasties you don't want to run into if you're the Avatar," she paused, glancing at Wally and Megan, "Or a water bender."

"Where would you recommend then?" Wally snapped sarcastically.

"The Ye Shi Canyon," Artemis said testily, "It's past Serpent's Pass, and just out of the Fire Nation's reaches. There are next to no resources there, save for a couple rivers and some fruit trees."

"How do you know about this 'Ye Shi Canyon?'" Connor asked skeptically, "How do you know it's safe."

"I was planning to trek there after I got away from the Fire Nation. I think it's about a six-day walk from here," Artemis said coolly, agitated by Connor's distrust.

Kaldur clapped his hands, "Very well, should there be no objections, we'll go to Ye Shi Canyon. We'll head into the town next to us today and then leave tomorrow."

There were no objections, and Kaldur nodded, "Perhaps it would be faster if we did not go in such a big group. Artemis, why don't you go with Wally and Dick into the town and gather supplies?"

"No way am I going with that idiot," Artemis protested.

Wally glared at her but nodded in affirmative, "Me neither."

Dick grinned, "Let's go, guys!"

"No," they said in unison.

Dick pouted, "You know, I've never gotten to go to the market with my friends… because I didn't have any when I was on the run…"

Artemis and Wally groaned and sighed, Dick's attempt at guilt-tripping them working.

"Fine," Artemis snapped, "Let's go."

Dick slammed his hat on his head onto his head, and Artemis made to slip on a jacket over her the brand on her arm.

"Wait," Wally said, "You know, it's really hot out, you could just wrap your brand and pass it off as a cut or something…"

Wally had a sheepish look on his face as he held out a roll of bandages. Artemis accepted it tentatively and nodded, "Thanks."

Wally grinned, "Your welcome, princess."

**][][][][][][**

Artemis grabbed a couple pieces of gold, and also prepared a large bag to carry everything in. Wally and Dick waited for her by the door, and Artemis waved them out, and she followed them out of the dome.

"How far is the town?" Artemis asked as they followed the path at a slow, leisurely pace.

"About a thirty minute walk from here," Wally said scratching his head, "But Kaldur told me that the path can steep at times, so…"

Artemis nodded, and continued walking. Dick plodded along behind them, his big hat bobbing in the breeze. Artemis wished she was back at the dome because she had been meaning to ask Megan to show her some water-bending techniques. Green Arrow had recommended that when she comes across a water bender, she should ask to see how they maneuvered. Oliver told her that fire moves like a liquid. Despite being complete opposites, fire and water could be seen as very alike.

"…what do you think, Artemis?" Dick's voice said loudly, jarring Artemis out of her thoughts.

Artemis blinked, "Huh?"

"I asked if we could buy some komodo chicken kebabs when we get to the town," Dick repeated.

Artemis nodded, waving him off, "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Dick grinned and seemed to jump gleefully toward a stall that had a hand painted sign saying, "Ming's Komodo Chicken." Dick prompted Artemis for some money, and Artemis begrudgingly handed it over.

The owner of the stall was a large woman, who grinned down at Dick.

"Why, aren't you adorable?" the woman said, and she glanced up at Artemis and Wally, who were standing awkwardly on the side. Wally seemed to glance worriedly at Dick, who shifted uncomfortably as the woman flipped over the kebabs that she was preparing for them.

The woman smiled at Artemis, "Are you his sister?" she asked, jutting her chin out towards Dick with the metal tongs poised in her hands. Artemis didn't hesitate before nodding.

"How old is he?" the woman continued, poking one of the kebabs and then looking at the trio expectantly, "Oh, wait, let me guess. Thirteen? Twelve?"

"Fifteen," Dick muttered darkly.

The woman's face fell, and she smiled forcefully, quickly scooping up the kebabs and placing them into a paper bag, "Well, then… have a nice day dears, and stay safe!"

Dick grabbed the bag and headed off, jogging ahead of Wally and Artemis. Artemis made to go after him, but Wally grabbed her shoulder, shaking his head. It would be better if he was left alone.

**][][][][][][**

Megan looked over the various water skins Artemis, Wally, and Dick had brought back from their trip. Dick had arrived in a sullen mood, storming into their little clearing with a dark expression on his face and he promptly bended himself up into a tall tree to be alone. Megan gathered the skins in her arms, bringing them closer to the river. She bended the running water into the containers, and then carefully fastened them closed.

Connor and Kaldur had yet to return from their scouting trek in the woods. They had decided to walk ahead and had been gone for about three hours. She heard snapping twigs and the crunching of trees and she whipped around. She sighed in relief when she realized that it was Connor and Kaldur.

Megan spotted a large animal hulking behind them, and she squinted at the animal curiously, "You brought a friend? Or a tail…?"

Connor gave a rare smile, "This is Wolf. He'll be our ride to the Ye Shi Canyon."

* * *

**A/N: About the title - this is really like an interlude, leading up to the action... :) School starts next week (next Thursday to be exact) so, again, I'll try to find time to write when I can.**

**NOTES:**

**1. Megan's birthmark... I took the easy way out with the Spirit Oasis thing. In this story, Megan is from the SOUTHERN water tribe, and although the fact about the whole 'Southern Tribe having some water from the Spirit Oasis is not canon in the actual series, I thought the only water that was 'powerful' enough to remove a disfigurement (like Zuko's scar, Megan's birthmark) would be the water from the Spirit Oasis. In the series, I didn't get the whole 'one use' thing. I mean, I thought of the water more transferring the bender's energy (in this case, Megan's) and merging it with the properties of the water from the Spirit Oasis water to create a temporary solution to Megan's problem.**

**2. The original draft had a scene where Artemis, Wally, and Dick visited a bank to withdraw money from Artemis's family bank account, but my characterization of a haughty Artemis came off a little bratty. Oh and our favorite magician who's also a certain Robin's love interest was to appear as a faux-Avatar scamming citizens of the town the traught-spitfire trio was also supposed to appear. But I cut that out as well.**

**I've decided another part for Zatanna to play.**

**and it will be good.**

**very good. (like I really want to tell you the idea I've come up with but it might spoil it. PM me if you want to know.)**

**3. Some people have been saying that I've been moving too slow or that they want more Spitfire but I thought the series could've done a little better with the Spitfire development. I mean, they literally went from arguing to making out. While I love Spitfire and everything it stands for, I see this story as a chance to develop the Spitfire relationship. They had so much potential for well-placed moments, but the show had to focus on other things, y'know... :(**

**4. Wolf. Gah. I loved him in the series. In this, he'll probably be a sky-bison type creature. Just because it's very convenient for me. And for our friends in the story. So yeah. Wolf the Sky Bison. Hooray!**

**5. Let's assume just for a moment that Artemis has a bottomless sack of gold that has an unlimited source of money. I mean, she'll run out eventually in the story, but I don't plan on it being anytime soon. I'd rather not have to try another attempt at writing an Artemis-visits-the-bank-scene.**

**Thanks for reading, see you next time.**


	6. confession

Wolf turned out to be some kind of sky-bison, husky elephant hybrid. Dick had been able to identify Wolf by his distinctive nose, large grey-brown arrow, and the flat tail of the sky-bisons of the different Air Temples. However, besides those features, Wolf looked distinctively like a large, well, wolf. Dick wasn't quite sure why a sky-bison decided to mate with a husky elephant, but decided not to dwell on it too much.

Wolf was big enough to carry all six of them, so long as they stopped for breaks every night. Connor managed to buy a gigantic-sized goat gorilla saddle and fastened it onto Wolf. Megan sewed together two very long pieces of leather for reins and they were set. It seemed that Wolf had been previously trained, due to long, angry pink whip marks on his belly. Wolf seemed most responsive to Connor, so it was Connor who was elected to navigate. Kaldur, upon realizing they may be able to cross over water now, pointed out a shorter, alternative route over the ocean that would shorten the traveling time by about four days. Artemis seemed skeptical, because the planned called for a stop at an unknown island in the middle of the sea for rest, but she fell silent when Wally asked if she wanted to walk for six days just because, 'that little green thing looked suspicious to you.'

Artemis was thoroughly annoyed, but fell silent.

They managed to pack quickly the morning of their departure; Connor and Kaldur quickly dissolved their Earth dome, Artemis and Megan packed the group's belongings, and Wally and Dick loaded up Wolf. They departed shortly before lunch, and were soon flying quickly over pristine blue waters. The ride was generally and unusually quiet, but most of them were too in awe of the feeling of being up in the clouds to make conversation. Night fell, and Connor soon spotted the green island from before they would be stopping at.

Connor steered Wolf down and Wolf landed with a loud thud and a satisfied growl. It seemed to be uninhabited, and the group jumped down off of Wolf's saddle, looking around. It was hard to see, and the only noise seemed to be the sound of the ocean lapping onto the shore of the island.

Connor had only been able to walk two inches forward before he heard a sharp whooshing noise, and felt a burst of pain before everything went dark. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he heard the startled cries of the rest of his group, and he wondered numbly why they were screaming…

**][][][][][][][**

Artemis awoke with her head pounding, tied to a pillar. It was day time, and the sun was high in the sky.

"…Artemis?" a voice hissed from right next to her, and she turned her head slightly, able to see Wally out of her peripheral vision.

"..Wally?..." Artemis managed to eke out, squirming in her binds, "What's going on?"

"I… I have no idea," Wally said, who had seemingly also just woken and was also attempting to squirm out of his binds.

"Good," a cool female voice said, "You're awake."

Artemis looked up, seeing a woman dressed in armor, her blonde hair held back by a large gold head band. Her armor was green, gold, and black, and her face was painted white and red, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked to be in her late twenties to early thirties, but Artemis couldn't be sure because of the make up.

A groan elicited from the other side of pole, sounding distinctively like Dick. Megan was pressed up beside Artemis, still unconscious, and Artemis hypothesized that Kaldur and Connor were probably on the other side of the pole.

"Who are you?" Dick asked, his voice cutting through the tense silence.

"We are the Kyoshi Warriors," another voice said. A girl about Dick's age emerged from behind the earlier woman, dressed the same but with a plain, green head band and wavy black hair tied neatly into a bun. Artemis guessed the woman was the leader, and the gold head band was the sign of her rank, "The better question is, who are _you._ Why have you invaded our island?"

"Invaded?" Connor asked, "We just landed here to rest for the night and replenish our supplies."

"Kyoshi? As in Avatar Kyoshi-inspired?" Wally then said hopefully from his spot next to Artemis.

The girl scoffed, jutting her chin up above them. Artemis looked up, and then recognized the thing they were bound to was actually a pedestal for a large statue of a woman in similar garb as both of the females.

"Great!" Dick said, his voice a little stronger now, "Well then, you must be on our side because I'm the Avatar!"

The woman squinted at Dick for a second, "Prove it."

Dick thrust his hands down, and he shot up into the air, the ropes seemingly falling in slow motion and whipping in the automatic breeze that Dick created behind him. He then clamped his fists together, making a great swirling ball of air and then seemingly sat upon it, whirring around and around in circles around the woman and the girl. The women watched in awe, and when Dick stopped, the woman and the girl placed their hands together respectfully and bowed.

"So, um, now that I've proved myself… Can you free my friends?" Dick asked, and the woman nodded, motioning to the girl. The girl nodded and retrieved a sword from the side of her hip. Artemis snickered as Wally made a soft, girlish squeal at the sight of the sharp sword, but with a quick flash, the ropes fell down, severed.

"Name's Dinah, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. This is Zatanna, my second-in-command. Welcome to Kyoshi Island," the woman said.

"Man, I'm starving…" Wally groaned, rubbing his stomach as it growled loudly.

Dinah smiled, "Come on, we'll have a feast and festivities to honor the Avatar's visit."

**][][][][][][][**

Wally wanted to eat everything. Large, roast turtle ducks, glazed cakes filled with the succulent juices of ginger berries, and the aroma of baking _something_ that was making him dizzy with hunger. Artemis and Megan had been kidnapped by the Kyoshi Warriors earlier, unable to escape their clutches and Zatanna's cry of, "Fresh meat, girls!"

They had yet to make an appearance at the extravagant, last-minute feast Dinah had managed to put on.

A stream of giggles then trailed through the room, revealing a large pack girls standing in the door way. Wally spotted Megan and Artemis right away near the front. Their faces had been painted to match the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors, and they now donned the expressive, heavy green and black armor like the rest of the girls. Megan looked gleeful, as per usual, while Artemis wore a sour, disgruntled expression. She kept attempting to scratch her nose but at warning glares from both Megan and Zatanna, she would put her hand back down, scowling.

Wally laughed. Artemis settled in next to Wally, and Wally grinned at her, in a good mood due to the food. He handed her chop sticks and their hands briefly brushed each other in the process. Artemis's frown deepened, and Wally blushed slightly, embarrassed that the slight touch had caused so much. Megan was whispering to Zatanna across the table, who was sitting on the other side next to Dinah and Dick. Dick was eating, stuffing his face with various goodies while stopping every so often to sneak a peak at Dinah's pretty second-in-command. Wally noticed and snickered, but at Artemis's sharp glare, Wally retreated.

He hadn't really realized it at first, but Artemis was pretty cool. She was smart and funny and pretty, and he supposed that if she wasn't Fire Nation, he probably would've been scrambling to talk to her.

"I think I'm going to head out," Artemis said quietly, and she set down her cup gently and then got up quickly, her dress flapping gently in the wind.

Artemis had been oddly quiet all day, actually, mostly quiet and without the usual, sharp retorts. His gaze followed her as she stood up and exited outside and onto the balcony of Dinah's house. Kaldur was also looking worriedly in the direction she had exited. Kaldur seemed torn between the shy-looking red-haired girl seated next to him and going after Artemis, but Wally shook his head, motioning that he would handle him. Kaldur smiled gratefully and turned his attention back to the red-head.

Wally went out into the balcony, the cool sea breeze blowing through his hair. Artemis was leaning against the balcony, using her sleeve to wipe at some of the paint on her face. She let out a long sigh, and she stared up at the twinkling stars, glaring at the sky as if it had done her wrong.

"…You okay, princess?" Wally asked suddenly.

Artemis jumped, and turned, startled. Wally was shocked to find that was near tears, fat droplets threatening to brim over.

Wally stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do, "….Erm… What happened?"

Artemis turned back to the ocean, watching the waves lap on the shore. She sighed, "The night's so clear," she said quietly, a slight breeze whipped through her hair, which had been done up in a loose bun to match the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. The paint on her face was nearly all gone, only slight residual traces of white paint on the edges of her cheeks, "It's never like this back home."

"Home?" Wally asked, drawing up next to the Artemis, and dangling his hands off the edge of the balcony.

Artemis frowned to herself, "You know, back at the Fire Nation."

Wally nodded, "So… um… you want to talk about it?"

She pursed her lips, seemingly fighting an internal conflict before biting out, "My mom died seven years ago, on this day."

Wally turned to her, fully staring at her face now.

"My dad woke me up, and he said, 'your mom's dead,'" Artemis said in a breezy, faraway tone of voice.

Artemis blinked up at the stars, her eyes shiny, her hair shimmered in the light of the moon, and a gentle breeze blew it backwards slightly,"You know… sometimes, I like to believe that she just ran away… and she's out there, waiting for me to find her."

Wally hesitated, but placed a shaky, awkward hand on her shoulder, grinning meekly in an attempt to diffuse the tension, "Well, we have a giant flying mutant elephant-wolf now, why don't we find her?"

Artemis's gaze fell, and then glanced at Wally, a small smile on her face, "Erm… Thanks, Wally. But…" she sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping. She shook her head, straitening her spine and adjusting her robes, "Anyways. Thanks for the pep talk."

And just like that, the connection vanished.

**NOTES:**

**1. Wolf can fly now. And other than sky bisons, I don't believe other animals in the Avatar universe can fly. So, now, a sky bison and a husky elephant got busy and the product was Wolf. And Wolf can fly.**

**2. In the Avatar Universe, Suki wore a golden head band that differentiated herself from the other warriors. Since Dinah is the leader here, she wears the golden head band that marks her as the leader.**

**3. Zatanna. Finally, right?**

**4. I got a PM a week or so asking me why Kaldur isn't a water bender. I considered and toyed with the idea for a little bit, but I feel like Kaldur is more grounded and a kind of under-the-earth kind of guy. While not stubborn like most other Earth benders, I felt like he would be more like an Earth bender. And the ratio of water benders to earth benders was kind of uneven. So... Yeah.**

**Thanks for all the positive support! Sorry for taking so long... :/ **


End file.
